Loading and unloading winch-system for traction vehicles



March 25, 1969 R. RASMUSSEN LOADING AND UNLOADING WINCH-SYSTEM FORTRACTION VEHICLES Original Filed Sept. 4, 1964 Sheet of 3 INVENTOR.

E R %0 n RA D5 a March 25, 1969 RASMUSSEN Re. 26,546

LOADING AND UNLOADING WINCH-SYSTEM FOR TRACTION VEHICLES Original FiledSept. 4. 1964 Sheet 2 of 3 69 ml! g 63 mill INVENTOR. FIG IOA REEDRASMUSSEN HIS ATTORNE March 25, 1969 R. RASMUSSEN 26545 LOADING ANDUNLOADING WINCH-SYSTEM FOR TRACTION vsmcmss Original Filed Sept. 4, 1964Sheet 3 ors INVENTOR.

REED RASMUSSEN BY W HI ATTOR N EY United States Patent 26,546 LOADINGAND UNLOADING WINCH-SYSTEM FOR TRACTION VEHICLES Reed Rasmussen, Layton,Utah, assignor to Quadramics, Inc., Clearfield, Utah, a corporation ofUtah Original No. 3,229,839, dated Jan. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 394,447,Sept. 4, 1964. Application for reissue Dec. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 698,979

Int. Cl. B60p 1/64, 1/12, 1/14 U.S. Cl. 214-517 Claims Matter enclosedin heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part ofthis reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates theadditions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for loading and unloadingtransportable objects onto and ofi of the bed of a traction vehiclewhich includes a sprocket iournaled to the bed of the vehicle, a racksecured to the bottom of the transportable object to engage thesprocket, and means for driving the sprocket. Cables can be attached tothe transportable object and to winch means secured to the bed of thevehicle for drawing the transportable object onto the vehicle bed untilthe rack attached to the bottom of the object contacts the sprocket. Therack can be a regularly perforated strap with individual perforationswhich receive the teeth of the sprocket.

The present invention relates to winch constructions and, moreparticularly, to a Winch system employing cables, winch drums,sprockets, and rack means wherein a transportable object may be easilymoved from ground level onto the bed of a traction vehicle such as apick-up truck or, alternatively, from the truck to the ground or otherfixed support.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved winch system.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby objects such ascoaches and campers may be easily tleposited onto or removed from thebed of a traction vehicle such as a pick-up truck.

A further object is to provide a new and improved support structure forcoaches and pick-up carriers.

A further object is to provide an improved winch structure wherein thewinch cable to be associated therein is releasably attachable thereto.

A further object is to provide a readily attachable winch structurewhich is easily secured to the bed, bumper or other structure of apick-up truck.

A further object is to provide a combined cable and rack-sprocket drivefor translationally displacing transportable objects such as coaches andcampers, thus such that translational displacements are achieved in acontinuous manner by the use, firstly, of cables and, secondly, bysprockets and co-acting racks.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE I is a side elevation in line drawing of a traction vehiclehaving mounted or supported in the bed thereof an independent,transportable object such as a camper or coach.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevation of the lowerportion of the camper or other transportable Re. 26,546 Reissued Mar.25, 1969 object of FIGURE 1 where the same is supported by novel legmeans.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the structure of FIGURE 2 wherein the front legsof the structure have been re-oriented and entire camper is supported bywinch cables and ready for loading into (or unloading from) the bed of atraction vehicle such as a pick-up truck.

FIGURE 4A is a transverse horizontal section looking down, is takenalong the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2, and is enlarged and rotated degrees in aclockwise direction for convenience of illustration.

FIGURE 4B is an enlarged elevation taken along the line 4B4B in FIGURE2, and is shown in fragmentary view.

FIGURE 5A is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially schematic view takenalong the line SA-SA in FIG- URE 3 and illustrates rack and sprocketengagement at each of two sides of the structure.

FIGURE 5B is a fragmentary view of a conventional pawl ratchetarrangement used in connection with the conventional gear reduction boxutilized in the invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional detail taken along thearcuate line 6-6 in FIGURE 3, showing a representative attachment of arespective one of each of the two cables utilized in the winch system ofthe present invention.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail showing in section of arepresentative retaining means which may be used to retain in releasablemanner the forward headed ends of the winch cables when the latter arenot in use.

FIGURE 8A is an enlarged detail, shown principally in section and takenalong the line 8A8A in FIGURE 3, illustrating the co-action of guide andcontrol sprockets with the racks secured to the underside of the camper.

FIGURE 83 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, principally in section, ofa representative portion of the rack and spacer rail construction, andis taken along the line 8B-8B in FIGURE 8A.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan of the winch system of the present inventionwherein the same is releasably secured into place and ready foroperation.

FIGURE 10A is a rear view of the structure in FIG- URE 9 and is takenalong the line 10A10A in FIG- URE 9.

FIGURE 10B is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 10B--10Bin FIGURE 9, showing a representative construction of the elongatesupport member used in the winch system.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail, principally in section ofa fragmentary portion of the winch structure and is taken along the line11-11 in FIG- URE 10A.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary detail in elevation of the keyhole slotprovided in the wall of each of the respective winch drums.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 1313 inFIGURE 12, indicating the manner in which the keyhole slot retains theheaded end of a respective winch cable.

In FIGURE 1 traction vehicle 10 is provided with a bed 11 supportingunderside 12 of transportable object 13 such as a pick-up camper 13. InFIGURE 1 the camper is shown to be in transport position, beingsupported by the bed 11 of the vehicle 10 and ready for travel.

Inner panel 14, see FIGURE 2, of camper 13 (one being included on eachside of the camper) has attached thereto brackets 15 and 16 at bothfront and rear positions as shown. Both of these brackets at eachposition may be identical, with the same being secured in place byscrews 17, see FIGURE 4A, and provided with a tapped aperture 18 forreceiving the threaded shank 19 of securement means 20. The latterincludes a T-bar handle 21, see FIGURE 4A, and the threaded shank isprovided with a medial nut or other protrusion 22 for permitting theadjustment means to be threaded in and out of respective front and rearlegs 23 and 24 without becoming detached therefrom. It will beunderstood that legs 23 and 24 are found on the opposite side of thecamper as well. With reference to FIGURE 2 it is seen the legs aredisposed vertically and are secured to lowermost brackets in the mannershown in FIGURES 2 and 4A. Where the legs are to be retracted, then theyare simply pivoted about pins P so that the attachment means are thistime threaded into the drilled and tapped apertures of brackets 16.Kindly note the dotted-line indications of the legs in FIGURE 1. As forthe legs themselves, they each preferably include casters 28, see FIGURE3, for the rear leg and extremity support plates 29 of the front legs.It will be understood that casters may also be journaled to the frontlegs 23. However, it may be desirable that the camper not move when setin upright position as shown in FIGURE 2; hence the provision of thefriction producing, extremity support plates 29. Journaled axles 30 aresupplied for the casters as needed.

In order to accomplish the pivotal withdrawal or retrieval of the legs,brackets 32 and 33, see FIGURE 4B, are provided for each of the frontand rear legs. FIG- URE 4B best illustrates the configuration incross-section of the representative bracket 32, with the same includingscrews 35 for securing these brackets in place between respective sidepanel 14, see FIGURE 4B, and upper bottom surface 36 of the camper orcoach. The pivoting means includes a pin 37 which is threaded at 38 andincludes washer 39 and stop nut 40. This pin serves as the pivot pin Pfor the respective legs, the same being disposed in aperture 41 of anear 42 welded to a respective one of the legs 23 and 24.

The transportable object 13, such as the camper described, is shown inFIGURE 8A to include bottom spacer rail 45, which spaces rack means 46from bottom surface 47 of the camper. These rack means 46 arelongitudinally oriented along the lower edges of bottom surface 47, seeFIGURE 10A, and the spacer rails 45 are preferably made of soft wood sothat the sprockets hereinafter mentioned will simply feed into theserails as the racks are moved relative thereto. This will be explainedlater. Suf fice it to say now that rack means 46 each comprise apreferably elongate strap which is regularly perforated by perforations49 accommodating the teeth 50, see FIG- URE 8A, of respective sprockets51 hereinafter explained. There will be a relief aperture area 52disposed proximate the lowermost region or junction 53 of frontupstanding portion 54 of each of the racks with the remainder thereof,this for facilitating the commencement of engagement of respectivesprockets S1 with the racks.

It will be noted with respect to FIGURE 5A that the two racks 46 havetheir perforations 49 disposed on the outer side of the strap material,with margin 50 being solid and constituting an elongate width serving asa hearing surface for support by cylindrical bearing portion 52 of eachof the respective winch drums 53. Winch drums 53 also include helicallygrooved, cable receiving portions 54 accommodating the wound placementthereon of winch cables 55 and 56. The wall 57 of each of the winchcable drums 53 are preferably provided with keyhole slots 59 forreceiving the enlarged or headed end 60 of each of the winch cables 61.Thus, this aperture means 59 accommodates easy attachment of the winchcables to their respective drums. Each of the cable drums 53 may beidentically mounted to common shaft 62, the latter being journaled ingear reduction housing boss 63 of housing 64 by means of bushing 65.Each of the cable drums 53 are mounted upon opposite lengths of shaft 62by means of a respective, welded (see welds W), washer-configured spacer66 and the pinning by pin 67 of the respective drum to boss 68 ofsprocket 51, see FIGURE 11. It will be Cit noted that the sprockets 51are disposed adjacent to the cylindrical bearing portion 52 of each ofthe respective drums 53, see FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 8B illustrates that countersunk screws 66 may be employed tosecure the respective rack means 46 to each side edge of camper 13through the respective spacer rail 45.

Support means 69 and G are simply support, journaling means for shaft62, with the former constituting somewhat of an upstanding bearing andthe latter a gear reduction box welded or otherwise secured to elongatewinch mounting means or member 75. The latter preferably takes the formof an angle iron including depending pin means 76, see FIGURE 10B, and apair of forwardly extending fork means 77, the former for dependinginsertion into respective apertures 78 provided vehicle bed and thelatter for insertion underneath the bolt heads 79 of respective bolts 80generally supplied the truck bed. Journal plates 81 and 82, which areintegral with or affixed to the angle member 75, and include bushings 83and 84 further serving to journal the shaft 62.

Gear box G includes the conventional housing 64 as before mentioned. Thelatter includes therewithin conventional gear reduction gearing, notshown; also included will be the conventional ratchet wheel 91, seeFIGURE 58, and spring loaded pawl 92, having spring 93, the former beingpivoted to pivot shaft 93 and being adjustable by means of handle 94 forfixing the winch in any given disposition. This is all strictlyconventional as regards gear reduction units having actuatable ratchetpawl stops.

Securement of cables 55 and 56 to the camper object is shown inrepresentative form in FIGURE 6. Here the opposite cars of internallythreaded housing 91 are secured by countersunk screws 92 to theunderside of camper 13, and a threaded extremity 94 is welded orotherwise secured to the respective cable and threadedly insertedtherein. The headed end 60 at the opposite extremities of the respectivecables may be conveniently releasably inserted into eye-bolt or hookretainers 95 threaded into the underside or, perhaps preferably, theforward section of the camper bed.

The structure above described operates as follows:

Let it first be assumed that the camper structure is supported on itslegs in a manner as shown in FIGURE 2, and that it is now desired toload same into traction vehicle 10 which may take the form of a pick-uptruck. The headed end 60, see FIGURE 7, of each of the cables will bereleased from their eye bolt or book retainers 95 at the forward end ofthe camper and be attached to each of the respective, oppositely windingwinch drums 53 at opposite ends of wind shaft 62. Subsequently, thewinch crank or handle 72 in FIGURES 9 and 10A is turned so as to windthe cables upon their respective winch drums 53. This will be done in amanner such that the cables are directly beneath the camper andparticularly the central portion C thereof, see FIGURE 10A, forsupporting the weight of the camper when the front legs are lifted.

Once the cables have been wound tight by the winch, then pawl 92 inFIGURE 5B retains these cables taut while the upper legs are in factlifted and secured in position as illustrated in FIGURE 3, this by theSecurement means 20 shown in FIGURE 4A. The camper is further advancedforwardly by the turning in a clockwise direction of the winch throughcrank handle 72 so that sprockets 51 enter through opposite reliefapertures 52 to engage the rack means 46 on both sides of the camper.These racks serve as guides, additionally, in addition to advancementand withdrawal means, so that the camper may be properly guided into andlikewise suitably withdrawn from the vehicle bed.

It will be noted that the continued turning of crank 72 will cause anengagement, hence, of the racks 46 with their respective sprockets 51and an urging of the former by the latter so that the camper is advancedinto the bed of the truck. It will be noted at this point thatsubstantially all of he work is or may be done by the racks, howbeitcable tautness, if being preserved throughout, may be of assistance.However, where the cables in the winch structure are designed such as tobe ineffective at the lattermost extremity of travel of the camperrelative to the bed, still the sprockets will be effective to advancethe racks forwardly and hence the camper further forwardly into thetruck bed. Now the headed ends of the cables 55 and 56 may remain inkeyhole slots 59 of the winch drums while the camper is beingtransported.

When the camper is to be withdrawn from the bed then a reverse procedureis followed wherein the winch is turned in the reverse direction so asto cause sprockets 51 to turn in a counter-clockwise direction in orderto advance the racks rearwardly. In such event the cables are simplyinactive and all they do is unwind from the respective drums to be drawnrearwardly in accordance with the rearward movement of the camper. Thecounterclockwise rotation of the crank is continued until the sprocketsenter into relief areas 52 of their respective racks 46 and passtherebeyond. It will be noted that at this point the camper may befurther lowered by the continued counter-clockwise rotation of the winchsystem since the racks simply slide off the winch drums; yet the camperis retained in a controlled descent by the cables again, disposedunderneath the camper.

Prior to such continued descent the operator locks the ratchet wheel 91by pawl 94 and lowers the front legs 23 of the camper. (It may beobserved that the rear legs are previously lowered to erect conditiononce they are released from interference with the vehicle structure.Further, it will be noted that the casters 28 effectively provide for arearward rolling movement of the camper while the same is being urgedout of the truck or vehicle 10.)

Once the legs 29 are secured in vertical positions as shown in FIGURE 2,then the winch can be further actuated until the legs come in furthercontact with the ground, at which point the headed ends of the cables 55and 56 are released from keyhole slots 59 and redeposited onto eye-boltmounts 95 in FIGURE 7.

What is obtained, therefore, is a unique structure, almost effortlesslyactuated manually, wherein a camper may be conveniently withdrawn from atruck and mounted upon the ground and, correspondingly, convenientlylifted upwardly and deposited onto the bed of a truck or other tractionvehicle.

In muddy or bumpy areas wooden planks or other means may be suitablydeposited onto the ground in order to permit the casters 28 to rollfreely along ground level while the camper is being urged toward or awayfrom the traction vehicle.

The winch is very conveniently secured either to the bumper B of thevehicle, where the same is at an appropriate level or the support meanssuitably extended in a downward direction or, preferably, where the sameis mounted as an elongated angle by means of pins and forks hereforeexplained and shown in FIGURE B.

It will be understood throughout that the term sprocket shall refer notonly to conventional sprockets but also to other types of gearing suchas spur gear, pinions, etc. The term rack shall include not onlyconventional, toothed rack gears but also perforated straps andequivalent elongate structures. The term cable shall include all type ofelongate connectors including chains, ropes, wire cable, and so forth.

It will be understood that the cables may be releasably secured to thecamper and permanently secured to the winch drums if so desired;however, the construction shown is deemed preferably for ease ofoperation.

It is preferable that the winch be constructed so that the winch drumsin fact support the camper during its traverse thereover; however, thisneed not necessarily be the case so long as the margin and preferablythe inner margin of the rack means in fact engage the cylindricalportions 51 of the respective winch drums 53.

The term keyed and similar terms used throughout shall be understood asreferring to tying, fixing, gearing, or otherwise intercouplingrespective parts together for mutual revolvement.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a traction vehicle having a bed and atransportable object constructed for removable placement upon said bed:winch means supported by and mounted to said traction vehicle anddisposed proximate the rearmost extremity of said bed; cable meanssecured to and between said transportable object and said winch means;means for revolving said winch means coupled thereto; sprocket meanskeyed to said winch means for revolvement therewith; and rack meansfixedly secured to and longitudinally disposed with respect to saidobject and engageable with said sprocket means for enabling said objectto be advanced upon and withdrawn from said bed, upon the operation ofsaid winch, during engagement of said sprocket means with said rackmeans, said Winch means and rack means being so constructed and arrangedthat the winding of said winch means automatically effects the sequenceof drawing of said object toward said bed by said cable means, theengagement of said sprocket means with said rack means, and theadvancing of said object along said bed through engagement of saidsprocket means with said rack means.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said sprocket means comprisesa pair of keyed, coaxial, mutually spaced sprockets the axis of which ishorizontal, normal to, and transverse with respect to said bed, saidrack means comprising a pair of racks constructed for engagement withsaid sprockets, respectively, said racks being longitudinally disposedwith respect to said object and mutually spaced on load-bearingunder-surfaces thereof.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said object is provided withretrievable leg means, selected ones of said leg means being providedwith casters.

4. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said sprockets have individualsets of peripheral sprocket teeth, said racks individually comprisingregularly perforated straps the individual perforations of whichengagingly receive the teeth of said sprockets.

5. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said winch means include apair of keyed winch drums having respective cable receiving portions andcylindrical bearing portions adjacent thereto for supporting said racks,said sprockets being respectively adjacent said bearing portions, andeach of said racks including longitudinal bearing widths constructed forhearing engagement with and upon said bearing portions.

6. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said winch means includes ashaft, and pair of mutually spaced winch drums keyed to said shaft andhaving respective cable receiving portions and cylindrical bearingportions adjacent thereto for supporting said racks, said sprocketsbeing respectively adjacent said bearing portions, and each of saidracks including longitudinal bearing widths con structed for hearingengagement with and upon said hearing portions.

7. Structure according to claim 4 wherein perforated straps includeupstanding, forward extremity portions secured to said object at aforward side thereof, said perforated straps including relief aperturemeans at the bases of each of said upstanding portions for admittingsaid sprockets.

8. Structure according to claim 5 wherein said sprockets have individualsets of peripheral sprocket teeth, said racks individually comprisingregularly perforated straps the individual perforations of whichengagingly receive the teeth of said sprockets, said bearing widthsbeing adjacent said perforations and longitudinally disposed along saidstraps.

9. In combination with a traction vehicle having a bed and atransportable object constructed for removable placement upon said bed:a pair of mutually transversely spaced sprocket means; means forjournaling said sprocket means [mounted] to said traction vehicleproximate said bed; rack means, secured to the bottom of saidtransportable object for [and] supporting said transportable object onsaid vehicle bed, said rack means comprising, [and] regularly perforatedstraps the individual perforations of which are selectively engageablewith said sprocket means to be translated thereby; and means for drivingsaid sprocket means coupled thereto.

10. In combination with a traction vehicle having a bed and atransportable object constructed for removable placement upon said bea':sprocket means; means for journaling said sprocket means to saidtraction vehicle proximate said bed; rack means secured to the bottom ofsaid transportable object for support said transportable object on saidvehicle bed, said rack means comprising a regularly perforated strap theindividual perforations of which engage said sprocket means to betranslated thereby; and means for driving said sprocket means.

References Cited The following references, cited by the Examiner, are ofrecord in the patented file of this patent or the original patent.

ALBERT J. MAKAY, Primary Examiner.

